Bensonhurst is a polyglot immigrant neighborhood located on the South-Western side of Brooklyn. It is also bordered by Dyker Heights, Borough Park, Gravesend, and Bath Beach (see Figure 1). This particular neighborhood is renowned for its diverse ethnic groups, including Italian, Chinese, and Hispanic. In the early 20th century, many Italian immigrants fled the Lower East Side to settle down in Bensonhurst. In the 1950s, the Italian community expanded significantly. Due to the large Italian – American population, this neighborhood became Brooklyn’s Little Italy. Along with Italians, in the 1980s, Chinese immigrants started to put down roots in Bensonhurst. Since then,  86th Street has become the location for the second Chinatown in Brooklyn. For the last twenty years, more individuals from Latin American countries, particularly Guatemalans and Mexicans, have moved to this neighborhood. As a result, the vast majority of individuals in Bensonhurst can speak more than one language. Approximately 74.5 percent of Bensonhurst’s residents speak another language in addition to English at home. The language diversity found in Bensonhurst is reflected through commercial and business signs. In Bensonhurst, the linguistic landscape is characterized by the usage of Italian on distinct types of signs, the incorporation of Chinese and English on its signs, and the presence of different types of Spanish on its signs.

One of the characteristics of Bensonhurst’s linguistic landscape is the usage of Italian on different types of signs. In Figure 2, we can perceive four different images that represent Italian on monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual signs. The first image displays the use of only Italian on monolingual signs. In other words, the only language in this first image is Italian. Furthermore, the following two images are examples of the presence of Italian on bilingual signs, which involve not only Italian but also English. In the second image, we can easily observe the usage of Italian through the name of the restaurant, Villa Fiorita, and a minimal description below it, Ristorante. Nevertheless, if we look at it closely, this sign uses English as well. In the same image, there is an “Italian Restaurant” sign above the doors of the restaurant along with hand-written COVID-19 social distance guidelines in English posted on one of the doors. Similarly, the third image utilizes both Italian and English on a sign. We can perceive that it employs mostly English to describe what Frank & Sal Prime Meats offers with an exception of a few words in Italian, including “Fresh Latticini.”  Regarding Italian on multilingual signs, the last photo shows how the information posted on Strazzullo Law Firm‘s window is not only in Italian but also in several other languages. Through the signs in Figure 2, we can observe the implementation of Italian in Bensonhurst’s linguistic landscape. One of the reasons for the presence of Italian here can be due to the fact that for several years, Bensonhurst has been called Brooklyn’s Little Italy.  Another reason for this can be because 18th Avenue from 65th to 86th Street has been also known as Cristoforo Colombo Boulevard in honor of the significant Italian community that has lived in this neighborhood. One more reason can be due to the fact that Italian Americans represent 11.1% of Bensonhurst’s population. Through four different signs, we can perceive the use of Italian on a variety of signs in Bensonhurst.

Another characteristic of Bensonhurst’s linguistic landscape is the incorporation of Chinese and English on signs. In Figure 3, we can observe five distinct signs that follow this pattern. In the first image, we can notice that both Chinese and English are used on two different signs. In the following two images, we can see the same pattern on Bensonhurt’s signs. The last image is not an exception; in this image, we can observe the English name, Popeyes, and next to it, there is Popeyes’ adopting name in Chinese. In these images, we can perceive the employment of both languages on signs in Bensonhurst. One of the reasons for the use of Chinese and English among signs can be because of the significant amount of Asians in the neighborhood; the Asian community represents 37.3% of Bensonhurst’s population.  Another reason for this can be due to the fact that the second most predominant language in Bensonhurst after English is Chinese, which includes Cantonese and Mandarin.  One more reason for this might be due to the stores’ target customers. In these images, we can infer that these signs try to appeal to not only those who speak Chinese but also to those who speak English by using both languages. In the case of the last image, it is known that Popeyes  is an American fast-food chain. Nevertheless, since 37.3% of Bensonhurst’s population is represented by Asians, which includes the Chinese community, it is logical to think that this chicken chain attempts to attract the attention of this community by using Chinese characters on its sign. Through some signs of Bensonhurst’s linguistic landscape, we can perceive the usage of both Chinese and English on signs.

A further characteristic of Bensonhurst’s linguistic landscape is the presence of different types of Spanish on signs. In Figure 4, we can observe four distinct pictures that show these differences. In the first picture, we can see an example of a sign in Central American Spanish, which is a type of Spanish that people from Central American countries and Mexico speak. In this picture, we can identify this type of Spanish through the words encomienda, tamales, and tortas, which can have a completely different meaning in other types of Spanish. In the following picture, the sign is pretty much in Spanish from Google translate since it uses the same English structure just with words in Spanish. In the last two pictures, the three signs utilize a more “neutral” type of Spanish that is used for informational content and marketing, which can be understood by non-Spanish native speakers. Not only can we observe a money transfer service to Guatemala and Mexico in the first two signs, but we can also perceive a 35 dollar phone plan with access to unlimited high-speed in the last sign. Through these pictures, we can observe the employment of types of Spanish on different signs. One reason for the presence of these types of Spanish on Bensonhurst’s signs can be because of the individuals who come from different Spanish-speaking countries that have lived in this neighborhood. Another reason can be that the usage of Spanish on signs is just to target clients from the Hispanic community since Latino people represent 13% of Bensonhurst’s population. As demonstrated by the pictures presented, we can see the use of different types of Spanish on Bensonhurst’s signs.

To conclude, the linguistic landscape of Bensonhurst is distinguished by the presence of Italian on monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual signs, the integration of both Chinese and English on signs, and the disparity between types of Spanish on signs. Through Bensonhurst’s linguistic landscape, we can discern the significant language and cultural diversity in a tiny part of Brooklyn. By analyzing signs from the neighborhood we live in, we can comprehend its past, its history, and perhaps, perceive minimal details that we sometimes take for granted.